Longtime Yale Ob/Gyn and Cancer Center faculty member, leader, and innovator Peter E. Schwartz, MD, John Slade Ely Professor Emeritus of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, died on Sunday, Oct. 20, surrounded by family. He was 83.
Schwartz was passionate about women’s health and improving the lives of his patients, particularly in gynecological cancers. He first came to Yale as a resident. He then served two years at Travis Air Force Base in California before completing a fellowship in gynecologic oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, where he received additional training in radical cancer surgery and chemotherapy. He was recruited back to Yale in 1975 to lead the Division of Gynecologic Oncology. He served as section chief for most of his career.
He had many firsts throughout his nearly 50-year span here. He started the Division of Gynecologic Oncology, established neoadjuvant chemotherapy treatment as the standard approach worldwide for ovarian cancer, pioneered minimally invasive techniques for controlling massive hemorrhage in the postpartum patient, and established the Yale Early Detection Program for Ovarian Cancer–one of the first such programs in the country. Additionally, he changed the standard of care for often young women with germ cell ovarian cancers, designing the first fertility sparing treatments for these patients. Schwartz was also the first director of Yale’s Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship Training Program, approved by the national board in 1980.
“Dr. Schwartz was a world-renowned innovator who changed the field of gynecology with his groundbreaking therapies,” says Chair and Anita O'Keeffe Young Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences Hugh Taylor, MD. “He was also a valued department leader and hero to generations of trainees, and maybe most important, a kind and compassionate man, beloved by his patients and their families.”
After considering careers in engineering and law, Schwartz decided on medicine, inspired by a conversation he had with his family doctor and his growing love of science in college. He earned his medical degree at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and completed a surgical internship at the University of Kentucky Health Science Center. During his Yale residency, he decided to become a gynecologic surgeon focused on the treatment of cancer.
“Dr. Schwartz was the heart and soul of the Gyn-Onc division at Yale,” says Elena Ratner, MD, MBA, who now serves as co-director/chief of the gynecologic oncology section and worked alongside Schwartz for years. “He has saved so many women with his surgeries, his brilliance, and his care.”
Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro, CT-3, is among them.
“Peter may have left us, but the impact of his lifesaving work will be felt for generations, in all of the people who have lived full, healthy, and happy lives because of his care,” says DeLauro. “I am so grateful to be among them.”
Schwartz served as president of the New Haven Obstetrical Society, the New England Association of Gynecologic Oncologists, the Felix Rutledge Society, and the Society for Gynecologic Oncology. He was also a member of several journal editorial boards and served on numerous departmental and Yale Cancer Center committees, including the Oncology Patient Safety and Quality Council and the Smilow Leadership Council.
“Dr. Schwartz was a brilliant clinician and accomplished researcher, devoted to gynecological cancer and its treatment, including uterine serous cancer and ovarian cancer. He was a much beloved member of our community,” says Eric Winer, MD, director of the Yale Cancer Center and president and physician-in-chief of Smilow Cancer Hospital. “On a personal note, I remember being in awe of him four decades ago when I was a Yale medical student in gyn oncology.”
Schwartz often said a favorite aspect of his work was treating patients and building lifetime relationships. He also was enthused about advancements in the field—such as robotic surgery and the development of the human papillomavirus [HPV] vaccine—and working alongside physicians and research scientists across many disciplines.
“He is a true legend and giant of our field,” says Ratner. “His legacy will live on forever through all of us.”
Beyond his professional life, Schwartz was an avid skier and loved playing baseball with his grandchildren. He leaves behind his wife of 58 years, Arlene, their three sons and daughters-in-law, and five grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that any donations be sent to the Peter E. Schwartz, MD, Endowment which was established in 2009 to support gynecology basic and clinical research, training, and education.